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Get Started with Antenna Toolbox

Design, analyze, and visualize antenna elements and antenna arrays

Antenna Toolbox™ provides functions and apps for the design, analysis, and visualization of antenna elements and arrays. You can design standalone antennas and build arrays of antennas using predefined elements with parameterized geometry, arbitrary planar structures, or custom 3D structures described with STL files.

Antenna Toolbox uses electromagnetic solvers, including the method of moments (MoM), to compute impedance, current distribution, efficiency, and near-field and far-field radiation patterns. To improve the antenna design, you can use manual methods or use the optimization methods provided in the toolbox. Antenna geometry and analysis results can be visualized in 2D and 3D. The toolbox lets you integrate antenna array patterns into wireless systems for simulating beamforming and beam steering algorithms. The impedance analysis results can be used to design matching networks for integration with the RF front-end. You can install the antennas on large platforms such as vehicles or aircraft and analyze the effects of the structure on antenna performance. You can import STL and Gerber files to analyze a pre-existing structure or export them to share or manufacture your design. A site viewer enables you to visualize antenna coverage on a 3D terrain map using a variety of propagation models, including ray tracing.

Tutorials

More About

    Fundamental Analysis of Antennas

    Array Analysis

    • Mutual Coupling
      Active or scan impedance, array factor and pattern multiplication, coupling matrix, isolated or embedded element pattern.
    • Correlation Coefficient
      Far-field radiation pattern, S-parameter characterization.
    • Beamforming
      Side lobe control, beam scanning.
    • Grating Lobes
      Grating lobes are the maxima of the main beam, as predicted by the pattern multiplication theorem.

    Antenna Modeling

    • Antenna Classification
      Classify antennas based on radiation pattern or feeding mechanism.
    • Antenna Toolbox Coordinate System
      Rectangular and spherical coordinate system.
    • Antenna Radiation Patterns
      Default radiation patterns of built-in antennas.
    • Feed Model
      Antenna Toolbox feed model.
    • Meshing
      Method of Moments (MoM) is a numerical method that transforms Maxwell’s continuous integral equations into an approximate discrete formulation that requires inversion of a large matrix.
    • Solvers
      Different types of solvers, solver applications.

Featured Examples

Videos

Go to the "Explore, Pick, Iterate: Three Steps for Antenna Design" video.

Explore, Pick, Iterate: Three Steps for Antenna Design
Rapidly design an antenna for your application using the Antenna Designer App.

Go to the "PCB Antenna Design, Simulation, and Fabrication with MATLAB" video.

PCB Antenna Design, Simulation, and Fabrication with MATLAB
Design a PCB antenna using the Antenna ToolboxTM.

Go to the "PCB Antenna Design and Optimization" video.

PCB Antenna Design and Optimization
Design and optimize PCB antennas using PCB Antenna Designer App.